Democracy

• Components of a liberal democracy:

  -       Elections are free and fair

  -       The rule of law

  -       Individuals have rights and freedoms

  -       Checks and balances on government

  -       Government is based on accountability and legitimacy

  -       The legislature is representative and encourages pluralism
• The Burkean, trustee model, is when representative votes for what they think is right and would benefit the constituent
• The delegate model is when constituents’ views are mirrored
• Doctor’s mandate – trust representative to do the right thing at the given moment
• Representative democracy

  • Accountability (voting holds politicians to account, legislature can also hold to account)
  • Social representation (characteristics in line with population)
  • Constituency representation (local interests, represent interests as community and individuals, or national issues)
  • National representation (Brexit had conflicting MP votes with which method they chose)
  • Parties (most are part of a party and it shows they hold similar views to the party, one single party usually governs)
  • Mandate and manifesto (everyone knows where they stand and which policies were in the mandate)
• Anti-direct democracy:

  -       Impossible to reach agreement

  -       Will of majority who bother to take part in elections

  -       Cumbersome and costly

  -       People would not have interest or time to make decisions

  -       Uninformed voters

  -       Too complex for ordinary people to understand

  -       Rule by the mob

  -       What happens to minorities, which could be very large in number
• Pro-direct democracy:

  -       People elected tend not to be representative of the people who live in the state as a whole

  -       Representative don’t produce true representation in terms of seats won

  -       Modern technology can help

  -       Already use direct democracy

  -       Hold governments to account

  -       Unclear what the role of the representative is

  -       MPs usually must follow the party line if they want to progress

  -       Only the rich get listened to
• in recall election need 10% of constituents to sign a petition (2016), MP can join By-election to try and gain their position back
• Microcosm – representative example of the whole of society
• Education - 1997 Scottish Referendum 60% turnout and 2014 Scottish referendum 85% turnout

  -       Low turnout as most people in education younger than age allowed to vote

  -       Education and politics has become higher regarded
• Settling difficult conflicts and decisions – 1998 Good Friday agreement

  -       Allowed a decision to be made by the people in NI instead of it being decided for them
• Misinformation – EU referendum 2016

  -       People may have been unclear on what they were voting on

  -       Not enough info about results / what would happen after
•  

  Tyranny of the Majority – Switzerland 2002

  -       Minorities are less heard so they suffer without being able to express their opinion

  -       Is involving them but they don’t get a vote
• -       1975 EC referendum (65%)

  -       1979 Scottish devolution (64%)

  -       1979 Welsh devolution (59%)

  -       1998 Good Friday Agreement (81%)

  -       2011 AV referendum (42%)

  -       2014 Scottish independence (85%)

  -       2016 EU referendum (72%)
• 18th-century philosopher Rousseau: ‘the people of England believe they are free. They are seriously mistaken. They are free only during the election of members of parliament.’
• Election turnout not been over 70% in UK since 1997, fell below 60% for first time ever in 2001. In 1950’s consistently over 80%.
• Fewer than 2/3 of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2016 Brexit referendum. Over 90% of 65 year olds did
• Only 1.7% of British public are members of a political party
• When Blair was in power people didn’t want to vote for either party (drop from around 70% in 1997 to around 60% in 2001)
• Reasons for an increase in parliamentary electoral roll registrations:

  -       Increased population

  -       Awareness of politics increased

  -       Living conditions and education improved
• Greater level of turnout in EU membership referendum in 2016 than 1975 (72.2%)
• 2011 South Sudanese – 97.5% turnout
• 2001 general elections just below 60%, 2019 general elections around 67.5% but coming down from 2017 which was around 68%, also in 1950 around 85% so large change
•  

  By-elections V general elections – Southend West 65% for 2019 general election but only around 25% for by-election
• Trade union membership has declined, fell in 2021 by 62,000 on the year to 6.44 million, just 5,000 above levels in 2019. Corbyn in 2016 favoured trade unions
• Party membership has decreased very significantly

  -       Increased for labour under Corbyn but now decreased again under Starmer
• Pressure groups – 7 mil members of National Union of Students, 5.7 million members of The National Trust
•  

  More online activism but could be argued that only clicktivism
• House of lords – unelected body, 92 hereditary peers and lacks legitimacy from electorate

  -       35% female, 40% in Ireland, 51% pop

  -       Unelected monarchy

  -       Revolving door
• Governing party is elected so hold legitimacy, amount of women at an all time high